Whether it’s early in the season, the middle of July, or late in the year, it’s always good to know where you stand in your Roto league.
Of course, perusing your league’s standings accomplishes that fairly quickly. However, numbers can often be misleading. Is your team producing at the level it should be as a league leader compared to the vast majority of other Roto leagues?
Are there underperforming players on your team, or available via waivers each week that could help you significantly in specific, or multiple, categories moving forward? This column aims to, and will, answer all those questions on a weekly basis, regardless of league size.
Essentially, it’s an almanac for Roto leagues and NFBC or TGFBI leagues, showing you not only the watermarks your team should be hitting category-wise to be truly elite but also the specific players that will help you get there. What’s more, it’ll also cover the top performers in each category, as well as some under-the-radar options for each metric as well.
Notes
A couple of quick notes before we begin. For metrics like ERA, WHIP, batting average, and on-base percentage, only qualified or close to qualified pitchers and hitters (respectively) were considered, especially at this time of year with smaller sample sizes running rampant.
Additionally, all rostered rate numbers are via FantasyPros as of Monday. Furthermore, in part due to NFBC leagues, all stats (as well as the rostered data) are via the previous week’s Sunday.
All the data in terms of Roto league production is from last year’s numbers.
Rest of Season Note
With so little turnover among the elite players in terms of the league leaders, we’re switching to just the league leaders who are rostered in 50% or fewer of leagues from here through the rest of the season, focusing on helping you find the waiver wire options which could help win your fantasy league.
Where You Should Be Producing In Each Category
Below is data for both 15-team and 12-team Roto leagues from last season and the average statistical totals that each placed team finished with. This is for the entirety of a season. Basically, if you want to do well in these two formats, these are the season-long watermarks to shoot for.
There’s also SGP data for both 15-team and 12-team formats.
Before we get any further, a massive thank you to Pitcher List Director of Data Analytics and Research Kyle Bland for getting a hold of the data.
And now, without further ado, here is the 15-team data, which comes from the 2023 TGFBI leagues:
15-Team Leagues
(Quick reminder, the far left-hand column is where the team finished in the standings.)
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And here’s the 15-team, SGP data:
12-Team Leagues
And now for the 12-team, SGP data:
Category Power Rankings
Batting Average (AVG)
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Jose Iglesias.
A must-add for fantasy managers in deeper leagues looking for immediate help in terms of batting average, Iglesias is batting .384 in his first 76 plate appearances this month, and has started to hit leadoff for the Mets.
Generally speaking, that’s been hitting in front of Brandon Nimmo (22 home runs, 113 wRC+) or Starling Marte (.327 on-base percentage, 105 wRC+), which certainly doesn’t hurt from a fantasy standpoint.
On-Base Percentage (OBP)
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Iván Herrera.
Herrera has been on a tear in September, hitting .349 with a .440 on-base percentage, a 14.0% walk rate, and an 18.0% strikeout rate. He’s only added a home run during that stretch but has supplied a stolen base and a .186 ISO.
Still, regardless of where the power production has been lately, the catcher looks like a must-add in deeper leagues for fantasy managers in deeper leagues. The fact that the Cardinals are still starting Pedro Pagés reasonably regularly is the only thing preventing Herrera from being a must-add in all fantasy formats.
Home Runs (HR)
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Michael Toglia.
Toglia has appeared in this column before, but it’s worth noting that he (and the rest of the Rockies) finishes the year at home. The 26-year-old is sporting a .206 ISO and a 12.9% walk rate at Coors Field this season.
Elsewhere, the outfielder and first baseman has the sixth-highest barrel rate (17.7%) among qualified hitters from June 6 through the beginning of play this week.
Regardless of league size, he’s a must-add (and a potential must-start, depending on your lineup options) for teams searching for production at either first base or in the outfield.
Runs Scored (R)
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Willi Castro.
While the Minnesota Twins have struggled to string together wins lately, Castro hasn’t struggled to the same extent as of late at the plate. In fact, it’s been the exact opposite of that.
The versatile 27-year-old is batting .306 with .422 with a .375 wOBA and a 148 wRC+ in his last 46 plate appearances, adding a home run, a double, a stolen base, seven runs scored and six RBI in the process.
With a .322 xwOBA and a .374 xwOBAcon, Castro’s production probably isn’t too sustainable – his BABIP during that stretch is also .345. Still, with so few games left, that matters little. Plus, with fantasy eligibility everywhere but first base, pitcher, and catcher, the infielder and outfielder can help fantasy managers in deeper leagues, almost regardless of position of need.
RBI
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Andrew Vaughn.
Andrew Vaughn’s name might not jump out as a potential waiver wire add to the White Sox lineup that he’s a part of, one that’s last in the majors in runs scored by a significant margin.
Andrew Vaughn’s name might also not jump out as a potential waiver wire add due to his season-long stats. Stats that include hitting .246 with a .298 on-base percentage and 19 home runs (as well as two stolen bases) in 593 plate appearances.
And while those are certainly not factors and facts to dismiss completely, Vaughn has been much better as of late, to the point where his fantasy ceiling doesn’t hinge quite as much on the lineup around him.
From August 1 through the beginning of play this week, Vaughn was batting .280 with a .330 on-base percentage, six home runs, a stolen base, a .341 wOBA, a 123 wRC+, and a 9.2% barrel rate.
And while three games to finish the year in Detroit against a pitching staff with the league’s second-lowest FIP this season isn’t ideal, Vaughn is worth adding for fantasy managers in leagues with 14 or more teams.
Stolen Bases (SB)
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Xavier Edwards.
Since July 7, Xavier Edwards’ fourth game with the Marlins this season, he’s batting .318 with a .383 on-base percentage in 265 plate appearances, adding a home run and 30 stolen bases.
During that span, only Shohei Ohtani has more stolen bases with 39.
For the entire season, just 17 players have more stolen bases.
And while Edwards has struggled a bit this month, hitting just .212 with a 24 wRC+ in his first 69 plate appearances entering play this week, he’s also added eight stolen bases during that span.
Still entrenched atop the Marlins’ lineup, Edwards’ ability to steal bases at an above-average rate makes him a potential league winner for fantasy managers this week, especially considering he’ll often steal multiple bases during a game.
The 25-year-old has recorded two stolen bases in a game eight times this season, including twice in the last three weeks.
Pitchers
Strikeouts (K)
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Jake Irvin.
Irvin has enjoyed a solid year for the Nationals, pitching to a 4.22 ERA and a 4.42 FIP in 32 starts spanning 183.1 innings, adding 10 pitcher wins in the process.
And while Irvin has thrown six or more innings while allowing just one earned run in two of his last three starts, he’s not a recommended start for his final outing outside of deep leagues.
The right-hander is set to face a Phillies team that is fourth in the league in runs scored and sixth in the sport in wRC+.
ERA
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: José Buttó.
Butto has a pitcher win and two holds in his last five appearances and is sporting a 2.08 ERA and a 3.60 FIP – not to mention a 15.0% swinging strike percentage.
If you’re looking for an impact reliever to add in leagues where holds are part of the scoring, it’s Butto, especially with the Mets fighting for a playoff berth and key remaining games in Milwaukee and at Atlanta.
Wins (W)
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Ben Lively.
Lively, like Irvin, has enjoyed a solid year from a pitcher-win standpoint.
To go along with the 13 wins, the hurler has pitched to a 3.80 ERA and a 4.65 FIP in 28 starts spanning 147 innings. In the process, he’s tacked on 114 strikeouts while allowing 45 walks and 23 home runs.
However, also like Irvin, he has a rather tricky fantasy matchup on tap to finish the year. That’d be against a Houston Astros team that is in the top 10 in the league in on-base percentage, wRC+, runs scored, and home runs. For this start, you’re probably better off looking elsewhere for streaming options.
Quality Starts (QS)
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Jose Quintana.
Quintana didn’t pitch in the Mets series in Atlanta after the team decided to start David Peterson instead.
Regardless, Quintana makes for a strong streaming option for fantasy managers this week. He’s allowed just one earned run in his last five starts spanning 32 innings. What’s more, he hasn’t allowed a run in his last 22.2 innings.
In those aforementioned 32 innings, the veteran left-hander has struck out just 20 batters, but he’s also scattered just nine walks while posting a 2.76 FIP.
Saves (SV)
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Jason Foley.
Jackson Jobe joining the bullpen and Beau Brieske’s recent emergence – not to mention Tyler Holton’s continued dominance – make things a bit more clouded in terms of forecasting just who will get saves the rest of the way for the Tigers. Foley still remains the best bet to get the majority of them should they arise.
WHIP
Leaders rostered in 50% or Fewer Leagues
Of Note: Nick Martinez.
Martinez has given up a grand total of one earned run in his last three starts (19 innings) while limiting batters to a 2.3% barrel rate and a 22.7% hard-hit rate. He makes for a quality streaming option, regardless of league size, in his last scheduled start of the year against a Cubs team that ranks in the bottom half of the league in hard-hit rate.